From Horace Darwin to Emma Darwin 12 April 1878

Dear Mother

I only came down here yesterday, having had rather good fun in London. I went to see the Westinghouse Brakes with Douglas Galton & Mr. Easton & stayed there a long time. I most probably shall help in the experiments as Capt. Galton said some thing about it, that will mean being on the train whilst the experiment take place & helping to work out the results perhaps. A special van is being made quite full of self recording dynamometers, & self recording speed-ometers; which are very nice. I also whent to an arbitration with Mr. Easton which was a little amusing where as far as I can make out a Mr. Peas M.P. and Quaker & others are trying to leg the Corporation of Middlesbury out of £11,000, I hope he will have to pay £500–£600 cost & get none of his £11,000   Mr. E. was giving evidence for the Corporation. The Corporation are willing to pay £10 to one of the parties, as the extent of the damages. There was a Yorkshire Iron master, one of the Corporation of Middlesbury giving evidence in a strong Yorkshire accent, who happened to ask Mr. Easton who I was, & when he said I was Charles Darwin son he said “Ah that is a man I would go down on my knees to.” I should not have thought that a Middlesbury Iron master would have ever hear of father. Mr. Easton told me this. I dined with F. M. Balfour who has not gone abroad on account of a cold.

Your affec. son | Horace Darwin